Fire and Ice/Chapter 10
Chapter description :Fireheart wakes up with his sister's image in his mind. He pushes out of the warriors' den, hoping the day would distract him. He sees Longtail and Whitestorm waiting for the morning patrol; Mousefur and Sandpaw join them, and they leave the camp. Fireheart pads across the camp clearing, and wonders if his apprentice Cinderpaw is awake. He sees Brindleface and her three kits leave the nursery. When one of Brindleface's kits stumble, she helps it up, which causes Fireheart's dream to rush back to him. Fireheart notes that Brindleface's fourth kit died soon after it was born, causing her to love her remaining kits even more. Fireheart feels envious that his Clanmates were all Clanborn. Fireheart notes that he would die to protect ThunderClan, but none of his Clanmates respect his kittypet roots. :Graystripe pads up to him, and Fireheart greets him, and asks if he could take Cinderpaw out for the day. Graystripe curiously asks why, and Fireheart replies that it wasn't important, and he just wanted to check something. Fireheart warns Graystripe that Cinderpaw doesn't listen and that he shouldn't take his eyes off her. Graystripe is amused, and tells Fireheart that Cinderpaw sounds like a pawful, but that it'll be good for Brackenpaw, as his apprentice never charges without thinking first. Fireheart thanks Graystripe, and heads toward the camp entrance. He heads towards Twolegplace, and relaxes when he can't smell a ThunderClan patrol or Twolegs. Fireheart pulls himself up a nearby tree, and waits. He watches the flap on the Twoleg door. After the sun starts to rise, he starts to feel cold, and wonders if the Twolegs are keeping his sister shut in, as her kitting was going to be soon. Fireheart wonders if he should go back to camp. :Fireheart sees his sister pad through the swinging flap suddenly. Fireheart notes that if he jumped to her now, he would scare her, as he was a forest cat, not a kittypet. He waits until his sister reaches the end of the lawn. Fireheart tries to remember her name, but cannot remember so instead calls out his old kittypet name, Rusty. The she-cat hesitates, and Fireheart reveals himself to her. He is impressed when she hisses at him, and he remembers that her name is Princess. Fireheart asks her if she remembers him. Princess remains tense, and Fireheart notes that she must be wondering how he knows all those names. Fireheart drops into a submissive crouch, and Princess comments that he doesn't smell like Rusty. Fireheart tells her that he doesn't live with the Twolegs, and that he lives with ThunderClan. Fireheart notes that she probably never heard of the Clans. :Princess reaches out her nose to Fireheart, and comments that their mother's scent is still there. She suddenly backs away from Fireheart in distrust, and asks him why he is here. Fireheart replies that he saw her yesterday in the woods, and that he wanted to talk to her. Princess asks why, and he tells her that she is his sister. Fireheart wonders if she feels something for him. Much to Fireheart's relief, Princess relaxes, and tells him that he is very thin. He replies that he is thin for a kittypet, but not for a Clan cat. Fireheart tells Princess that her scent was in his dreams, and that he dreamed of their brothers and sisters. He asks where their mother is now, and Princess replies that their mother is still with her housefolk. Fireheart is about to inquire about their brothers and sisters, but Princess interrupts him, and tells him that most of them live near Twolegplace. :The two cats sit in silence, and Fireheart asks whether Princess remembers their mother's bedding. Fireheart feels guilt for longing about the kittypet softness. Princess replies that she did remember, and wishes she could have it for her own kitting. Fireheart's discomfort fades, and asks Princess if this litter would be her first. Fireheart reassures her, telling her that she'll be fine. He comments that her Twolegs look like they treat her well, and replies that her kits would be healthy and safe. Princess moves toward him, and presses her fur against his flank, and Fireheart notes that close kinship, and a common bond of heritage, is what the Clan cats take for granted. Fireheart asks Princess if she knows about the Clans, and she replies that he mentioned a ThunderClan. :He explains to her about the four Clans, and tells her that in the Clan they took care of each other; the younger cats hunted for the elders of the Clan, the warriors of the Clan protected the territory. Fireheart tells her that he trained to become a warrior, and that he has an apprentice of his own. Princess comments that he sounds like he enjoys his life. A Twoleg calls for Princess, and Fireheart darts under a nearby bush. Princess tells him that she should go, as they would get worried if she didn't go back. She comments that she has tiny mouths to feed, and that she can feel them. Fireheart tells her that he has to return to his Clan anyways, and that he will come see her again. Princess replies that she would like that, and says good-bye to her brother. Fireheart says his good-bye, and Princess returns to the Twoleg nest. :Fireheart jumps over the fence, and runs into the forest. He pauses at the top of the ravine near ThunderClan camp. He notes that it would feel strange if he went back now, and that he'll go hunt, as Cinderpaw would be safe with Graystripe, and that the Clan would welcome extra prey. Fireheart returns to camp after hunting. He carries a vole and wood pigeon. Fireheart sees Graystripe with a chaffinch by the nettle clump. As Fireheart drops his prey into the pile, Tigerclaw comments that he noticed Cinderpaw spending the day with Graystripe, and he asks where Fireheart was. Fireheart tells Tigerclaw that it was a good day for hunting, and that the Clan needed the fresh-kill. Tigerclaw agrees, but he tells Fireheart that they also need warriors, and that Cinderpaw's training was Fireheart's responsibility. Fireheart tells Tigerclaw that he understands, and that he'll take Cinderpaw out tomorrow. Tigerclaw looks around camp as Fireheart returns to eat with Graystripe. :Graystripe asks Fireheart if he found what he was looking for. Fireheart tells him that he did, then asks if he was thinking about the RiverClan warrior that died in the RiverClan attack. Graystripe comments that he tries not to, that it was just that when he was alone that he remembers Barkface's prophecy of trouble ahead. Fireheart interrupts him, and comments that the chaffinch looked like it was half feathers, and asks Graystripe if he wanted to swap prey. The two warriors exchange prey. As Fireheart eats, he sees Sandpaw and Dustpaw by the apprentices' den. He catches Sandpaw's eye, who looks away. Fireheart sees Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw talking, and Fireheart is reminded of his bond with Princess, and starts to feel lonely, and he wonders if his memories he shared with Princess are stronger than his loyalty to his Clan. Characters Major *Princess }} Minor *Tigerclaw *Whitestorm *Longtail *Mousefur *Sandpaw *Brindleface *Brindleface's kits *Dustpaw *Cinderpaw *Brackenpaw }} Mentioned *Fireheart's and Princess' siblings *Whiteclaw (unnamed) *Barkface }} Notes and references de:Feuer und Eis/Kapitel 10nl:Water en vuur/Hoofdstuk 10 es:Fuego y hielo/Capítulo 10 Category:Chapter subpages Category:The Prophecies Begin arc Category:Fire and Ice